December 13
Events *1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months; Celestine hoped to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. *1545 - Council of Trent begins. *1577 - Sir Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage. *1636 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard. *1642 - Abel Janszoon Tasman reaches New Zealand. *1643 - English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire. *1769 - Dartmouth College founded by the Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, with a Royal Charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal Governor John Wentworth. *1862 - American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside. *1884 - first performance of any of Richard Strauss's compositions in the United States (Symphony in f, New York Philharmonic) *1895 - Premiere of Gustav Mahler's Resurrection Symphony in Berlin. *1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanjing - Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. * 1937 - Nanjing Massacre. Japanese troops begin carrying out several weeks of raping and killing of civilians and suspected Chinese resistance after the fall of Nanjing. *1938 - The Holocaust: 100 deportees from Sachsenhausen build the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg. *1939 - World War II: Battle of the River Plate - Captain Hans Langsdorff of the German Deutschland class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers [[Wikipedia:HMS Exeter (68)|HMS Exeter]], [[Wikipedia:HMS Ajax (22)|HMS Ajax]] and [[Wikipedia:HMNZS Achilles (70)|HMNZS Achilles]]. *1941 - World War II: Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. *1943 - World War II: 710 Bombers of U.S. 8th Air Force attack Kiel, Germany. *1949 - The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem. *1959 - Archbishop Makarios becomes the first President of Cyprus. *1972 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the sixth and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century. *1973 - Rael, leader of the Raelian Movement claims to meet an ET he says is named Yahweh, during an alleged UFO encounter in Puy de Lassolas, France. *1974 - Malta becomes a republic. *1977 - A DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff and boosters of the team. *1978 - The first Susan B. Anthony dollar enters circulation. *1979 - The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Joe Clark is defeated in the House of Commons, prompting the 1980 Canadian election. *1981 - General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity. *1983 - The Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons play in the highest scoring NBA game in history, with the Pistons winning 186-184 in triple overtime. In addition to most points in a game, this game also set the record for most field goals made (136), and most assists (93). *1989 - The last issue of Gnistan (The Spark), the organ of the Solidaritetspartiet, is published in Sweden. *1996 - Kofi Annan is elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations. *2000 - The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed. * 2000 - American Vice President Al Gore delivers his concession speech ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States. *2001 - the Indian Parliament Sansad is attacked by terrorists, killing 15 people, including all the terrorists. *2002 - Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004. *2003 - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit (see Operation Red Dawn). * 2003 - In the most-attended basketball game in history, 78,129 watch Michigan State University lose 79-74 to the University of Kentucky at Ford Field. *2004 - Former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet is put under house arrest, after being sued under accusations over 9 kidnapping actions and manslaughter. The house arrest is lifted the same day on appeal. *2006 - The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, announced as extinct. Births *1521 - Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590) *1533 - King Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577) *1553 - King Henry IV of France (d. 1610) *1585 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (d. 1649) *1640 - Robert Plot, English naturalist (d. 1696) *1662 - Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1729) *1678 - Yongzheng Emperor of China (d. 1735) *1720 - Carlo Gozzi, Italian dramatist (d. 1804) *1724 - Franz Aepinus, German scientist (d. 1802) *1784 - Archduke Louis of Austria (d. 1864) *1797 - Heinrich Heine, German poet (d. 1856) *1804 - Joseph Howe, Canadian politician (d. 1873) *1816 - Ernst Werner von Siemens, German engineer, inventor, and industrialist (d. 1892) *1818 - Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States (d. 1882) *1836 - Franz von Lenbach, German painter (d. 1904) *1854 - Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (d. 1934) *1856 - Svetozar Boroević, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (d. 1920) *1860 - Lucien Guitry, French actor (d. 1925) *1864 - Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1947) *1867 - Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian explorer and scientist (d. 1917) *1870 - Edward LeSaint, American actor and director (d. 1940) *1871 - Emily Carr, Canadian artist (d. 1945) *1874 - Josef Lhévinne, Russian-born pianist (d. 1944) *1883 - Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian, bibliographer and archivist (d. 1950) *1887 - George Polya, Hungarian-born mathematician (d. 1985) * 1887 - Alvin York, American soldier & Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964) *1897 - Drew Pearson, American journalist (d. 1969) *1903 - Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist (d. 1993) *1906 - Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (d. 1968) * 1906 - Sir Laurens van der Post, South African author (d. 1996) *1910 - Van Heflin, American actor (d. 1971) *1911 - Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist and Bank of Sweden Prize winner (d. 1999) * 1911 - Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972) *1913 - Archie Moore, American boxer and World Light-Heavyweight Champion (d. 1998) * 1913 - Arnold Brown, the 11th General of The Salvation Army (d. 2002) *1915 - Curd Jürgens, German actor (d. 1982) * 1915 - Ross Macdonald, American-born author (d. 1983) * 1915 - B.J. Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa 1966-1978 (d. 1983) *1917 - John Hart, American actor *1919 - Hans-Joachim Marseille, German flying ace of World War II (d. 1942) *1920 - George Shultz, United States Secretary of State 1982-1989 *1923 - Philip Warren Anderson, American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate * 1923 - Larry Doby, American baseball player (d. 2003) *1925 - Dick Van Dyke, American actor and comedian *1926 - George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete and Olympic gold medalist *1929 - Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor *1930 - Robert Prosky, American actor *1934 - Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer *1935 - Joe Christopher, American baseball player * 1935 - Ken Hall, American football player, known as the “Sugar Land Express” * 1935 - Lindy McDaniel, American baseball player *1936 - His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (Aga Khan IV), Imam (leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims * 1936 - J.C. Martin American baseball player *1938 - Alvin Curran, American composer *1939 - Eric Flynn, British actor and singer (d. 2002) *1941 - John Davidson, American actor and game show host *1942 - Anna Eshoo, American politician *1943 - Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball player * 1943 - Gösta Winbergh, Swedish tenor (d. 2002) *1944 - Hwang Jang Lee, Korean martial artist and film actor *1945 - Brian McGuire, Australian racing driver (d. 1977) *1947 - Darlene Cates, American actress * 1947 - Dave Hamilton, American baseball player *1948 - Ted Nugent, American guitarist * 1948 - Jeff Baxter, American guitarist (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers) * 1948 - Brian Wilson, Scottish politician *1949 - Tom Verlaine, American singer/guitarist of Television *1950 - Wendie Malick, American actress * 1950 - Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa *1952 - Sylvester Ritter, American professional wrestler better known as "Junkyard Dog" (d. 1998) *1953 - Ben Bernanke, American economist and current United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve * 1953 - Bill Castro, Dominican baseball player * 1953 - Bob Gainey, Canadian ice hockey player *1954 - John Anderson, American country musician * 1954 - Tamora Pierce, author *1956 - Dale Berra, American baseball player *1957 - Steve Buscemi, American actor * 1957 - Morris Day, American singer (The Time) * 1957 - Jean-Marie Messier, French businessman *1958 - Lynn-Holly Johnson, American figure skater and actress *1959 - Jim Barrell, American professional wrestler * 1959 - Johnny Whitaker, American actor *1960 - Daggubati Venkatesh, Indian actor *1961 - Harry Gregson-Williams, English composer * 1961 - Irene Saez, Miss Universe 1981 and Venezuelan Politician *1964 - Hideto Matsumoto, Japanese musician (X Japan) (d. 1998) *1965 - Marko Mäetamm, Estonian artist *1966 - Ross Burden, New Zealand celebrity chef *1966 - Don Roff, American writer and filmmaker *1967 - Jamie Foxx, American actor *1969 - Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer (d. 2007) * 1969 - Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player *1973 - Christie Clark, American actress *1974 - Nicholas McCarthy, British guitarist (Franz Ferdinand) * 1974 - Sara Cox, TV and radio presenter *1975 - Tom DeLonge, American guitarist (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves) *1975 - Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player *1976 - Josh Fogg, American baseball player * 1976 - Radosław Sobolewski, Polish footballer *1977 - Peter Stringer, Irish Rugby International *1978 - Ryo Kawakita, Japanese guitarist (Maximum the Hormone) *1979 - Jon Elliott, American radio talkshow host *1981 - Amy Lee, American singer/songwriter (Evanescence) *1982 - Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player * 1982 - Freddie Weinke, American football player * 1982 - Tuka Rocha, Brazilian racing driver * 1982 - Dominik Werling, German footballer * 1982 - Anthony Callea, Australian Singer/Songwriter *1983 - Matt Deis, American bassist * 1983 - Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish Olympic swimmer *1989 - Taylor Swift, American singer/songwriter *1991 - Jay Greenberg, American composer *1992 - Laura Helena Saldaña, famous Latin American joker *2005 - Prince Nicolas of Belgium * 2005 - Prince Aymeric of Belgium Deaths *1048 - Al-Biruni, Persian mathematician (b. 973) *1124 - Pope Callixtus II *1126 - Henry IX *1204 - Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (b. 1135) *1250 - Frederick II (b. 1194) *1404 - Albert (b. 1336) *1466 - Donatello, Florentine artist and sculptor (b. 1386) *1516 - Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer (b. 1462) *1521 - Manuel I of Portugal (b. 1469) *1557 - Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, Italian mathematician *1565 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (b. 1516) *1603 - François Viète, French mathematician (b. 1540) *1621 - Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1535) *1716 - Charles de La Fosse, French painter (b. 1640) *1721 - Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and castaway (b. 1676) *1729 - Anthony Collins, English philosopher (b. 1676) *1754 - Mahmud I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1696) *1769 - Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet (b. 1715) *1783 - Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer (b. 1717) *1784 - Samuel Johnson, British writer and lexicographer (b. 1709) *1814 - Charles Joseph, Belgian-born Austrian field marshal (b. 1735) *1835 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (b. 1760) *1837 - Herman of Alaska, Russian Orthodox hermit (b. 1756) *1863 - Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German writer (b. 1813) *1868 - Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist (b. 1794) *1881 - August Senoa, Croatian writer (b. 1838) *1883 - Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (b. 1812) *1895 - Anyos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist (b. 1800) *1919 - Woldemar Voigt, German physicist (b. 1850) *1922 - Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic politician and poet (b. 1861) *1924 - Samuel Gompers, American labor and political leader, founder of American Federation of Labor (b. 1850) *1930 - Fritz Pregl, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1869) *1931 - Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840) *1932 - Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter (b. 1853) *1935 - Victor Grignard, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1871) *1940 - Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval, French physicist (b. 1851) *1942 - Wlodimir Ledochowski, Polish-Austrian director of the Society of Jesus (b. 1866) *1944 - Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born French artist (b. 1866) * 1944 - Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (b. 1908) *1945 - Irma Grese, Nazi war criminal (b. 1923) * 1945 - Elisabeth Volkenrath, supervisor at concentration camps (b. 1919) * 1945 - Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen Belsen concentration camp (b. 1906) *1947 - Nicholas Roerich, Russian-born painter (b. 1874) *1950 - Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1902) *1954 - John Raymond Hubbell, American writer (b. 1879) *1955 - Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874) *1958 - Tim Moore, American actor (b. 1887) *1961 - Grandma Moses, American painter (b. 1860) *1969 - Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral (b. 1886) * 1969 - Spencer Williams, Jr., American actor (b. 1893) *1973 - Henry Green, English author (b. 1905) *1979 - Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915) *1981 - Pigmeat Markham, American entertainer (b. 1904) *1983 - Alexander Schmemann, Orthodox Christian priest and theologian (b. 1921) * 1983 - Nichita Stanescu, Romanian poet (b. 1933) *1992 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and heir (b. 1899) * 1992 - K.C. Irving, Canadian industrialist (b. 1899) *1993 - Vanessa Duriès, French novelist (b. 1972) *1994 - Norman Beaton, English actor, First black teacher of Liverpool *2001 - Chuck Schuldiner, American musician (Death) (b. 1967) *2002 - Zal Yanovsky, American musician (The Lovin' Spoonful) (b. 1945) *2003 - William V. Roth, U.S. Senator (b. 1921) *2004 - Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (b. 1934) * 2004 - David Wheeler, British computer scientist (b. 1927) *2005 - Stanley Tookie Williams, co-founder of the Crips (b. 1953) * 2005 - Timothy Jordan II, American musician (The All American Rejects, Jonezetta) (b. 1981) *2006 - Lamar Hunt, American sports executive (b. 1932) Holidays and observances * Roman festivals - Tellus was worshipped in the district Carinae at the Esquiline Hill, and a lectisternium or table was spread for Ceres. * R.C. Saints - memorial of Saint Lucy * In the Julian calendar before the Gregorian reform, this was the shortest day and longest night, and widely celebrated as such. * Malta - Republic Day (since 1974) * St. Lucia's Day in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and some regions of Italy, mainly Sicily, Veneto and Trentino. External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:December